I was blindsided the other day when someone I knew just casually threw a sarcastic remark at me in front of my peers. I was shocked. I barely knew this person, so I did not know what to say.

What I did say was,“What???” Then I casually changed the conversation in a civil tone. I could have responded with a sarcastic remark of my own, but how mature would that have been?

Next time I will say, “Wow, that was rude. Did you intend to say that?” 99% of the time people will say, “I was just kidding….sorry.” At least you let them know they can’t get away with doing this to you in the future. There is the 1% chance that they will say, “I meant it!” If they do, you just say, “Thanks for letting me know how you really feel.” Then let it go. Further conversation with them at that point will just escalate and the outcome won’t be good for either of you.

I would rather know how someone honestly feels than have them smile to my face and stab me in the back. Haters are hard to deal with and cause people heartburn every day. They like to throw verbal grenades in the room and then look off like nothing happened. They do this online too.

Here is what I have learned about haters:

They come in every color and seem to be evident everywhere…even in religious circles.

Haters are made, not born that way. Look at small children and how they accept everyone regardless of how they look…clowns and Santa excluded. LOL.

There are three responses to a hater: ignore them, react to them, or respond to them. I suggest that choice number three is the best. If you ignore them, you are likely to get more sarcasm or hatred coming your way. If you react to them, you may be in a heated confrontation that won’t end well. If you respond to them, you let them know that what they said was inappropriate and give them the opportunity to do the right thing…apologize.